Peak Organic Pale Ale - Peak Organic Brewing Company

brewdoc75

Minnesota

2.53/5  rDev -27.1%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

From a bottle into an imperial pint glass. Best before date is 5/2008.

Looks like a pretty solid brew after the pour. Beautiful, orangish/amber color. Lively carbonation w/ a nice head that dwindles to a lace. Unfortunately, the aroma kills it for me. I tried to get something from it, but the aroma is nil. There is a faint "ricey" aroma followed by a miniscule amount of hops. I waited for it to warm up a bit and still nothing.

The taste of this beer is a little better with the aroma, but not much better. There is some bitterness from the hops, but no discernable citrus or floral flavors from the hops. The malts are present but it tastes a little bland and once again, rice like. The flavors aren't horrible, but just not that exciting. The mouthfeel is ok for a beer this style w/ a nice light body. It is crisp beer overall, w/ lively carbonation.

Overall I wasn't terribly impressed w/ this beer. I love pale ales. This is not one that I love. Its better than a macro lager, but not much. I like the fact that this is organic and would like to see more organic beers. Unfortunately, I'd rather drink a better non-organic beer at this time. Maybe as organic ingredients get more readily available, these beers will improve. For now I'm gonna stick with my pesticide laden hops and malts.

Serving type: bottle

12-06-2007 05:01:10 | More by brewdoc75

TheDeuce

New York

2.6/5  rDev -25.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Peak Organic Pale Ale...in a bottle....at GustOrganics in NYC...

Appearance-tan orange in the Pint glass, small white head, active carbonation otherwise, head dissapears

Smell-light hoppy notes, hints of fruit, alcohol, hop and malt balance each other out.

Taste/Mouthfeel- subdued hoppy flavors, grassy citrus, sweet honey, light to medium mouthfeel, a little watery. Ok smoothness.

Drinkability- Ok but light and watery.

Overall-I suppose this is passable but there are too many better versions out there of this style to recommend this unless you really want to go organic.

Serving type: bottle

09-09-2010 23:38:50 | More by TheDeuce

DogFood11

California

2.65/5  rDev -23.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

12oz brown bottle. Poured into a pils glass it forms a meaty and sticky off white head. Light copper body with medium sized carbonation.

First whiff had me thinking this was going to be one of those pales that leans towards the malty side although there was a nice showing of citrus. Woweee first drink and this has to be one of the earthiest pales I've had. Loads of dry hay, bark, and the herbal hops to try and keep it in check. Woody background reminds me of Firestone Double Barell but it doesn't come close to the quality of said beer. As it warmed the malts show a bit more of a toasted quality. A bit cheap tasting in that its thin in body and the flavors don't come together well. A jumbled effort.

Notes: Ho hummm. Its decent and worthy of a sampling but its got tough competition in this market so it probably won't see my gullet anytime soon.

Serving type: bottle

06-23-2007 00:46:13 | More by DogFood11

BeerBelcher

Ohio

2.68/5  rDev -22.8%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

I remain unimpressed with the organically-produced beers I've rated. This "pale ale" was more reminiscent of a witbier to me than a hoppy-styled beer.

This beer poured a slightly hazy orange color, with a Sprite-like head that faded to a puffy cloud-like head after a few minutes. Aroma was really strange for a pale ale - I got a lot of coriander and (not very pale ale-like) citrus-ness. In other words, its aroma was very much like a witbier rather than a pale ale. Flavor was similarly confusing - a bit hoppy but with some other witbier - like flavors. Mouthfeel was unremarkable.

I can't say I'd recommend this beer. I bought it as a single-serve bottle at Woodman's in Oak Creek, WI.

Serving type: bottle

04-16-2008 00:56:24 | More by BeerBelcher

goblue3509

Pennsylvania

2.68/5  rDev -22.8%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pours an amber copper color with a one and a half finger head that gives some lacing. The aroma is of a caramel malt backbone with citrus hops and some floral hop notes as well. The taste is much of the same the backbone is made up of caramel malt, there is a citrus hop bite present and then a floral hop bite. The mouthfeel is of moderate carbonation. Overall it is an okay drinkable beer, there is nothing to write home about, but nothing to completely dislike.

Serving type: bottle

09-17-2009 02:05:35 | More by goblue3509

StonedTrippin

Colorado

2.7/5  rDev -22.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

not nice. way way way to malty and watery for a pale ale, even if it was an english one. smells like spent grains and taste like a tea made from those same grains. no discernable hops anywhere here, and an undercarbonated mouthfeel makes this one feel odd. ive got to say i havent had many non-adjunct beers that i didnt like at all, but this one just about makes the list. i love to support organic stuff, but this is borderline undrinkable. must try more of their beers to see if this is one mistake or a whole like of lousy beer. blah

Serving type: bottle

12-22-2011 04:22:37 | More by StonedTrippin

albern

Massachusetts

2.8/5  rDev -19.3%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

I think my first experience with Peak lacked a little of the fizz that some of the other reviewers commented upon. It didn't have too much of a head, and forget about any froth. The color was good, clean, what you would expect from a pale ale. My subsequent experiences were better as far as freshness was concerned, and the beer does have carbonation. The smell is odd, almost a sour milk aroma that isn't too enticing. The taste, well, there is a dryness, a nutty malt flavor and some bitterness that I don't think is coming exclusively from the hops. There is bit of an unpleasant bite in the finish, maybe a little pepperishness. Perhaps there is just too much imbalance in this beer and it compromises it in all the wrong spots. This ale is also on the watery side, and not particularly substantial. One reviewer said it had the consistency of a summer ale. I wouldn't go that far, but it is more the thirst quencher than the sit down at home cozy ale I thought I was in for. Not bad, but it's a "been there done that" and I will move on. L'Chaim.

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2007 22:21:16 | More by albern

jdhilt

New Hampshire

2.85/5  rDev -17.9%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pours a two-fingered off-white head that fades quickly to a thin layer leaving a good lace. Light amber color. Light carbonation and medium bodied. Faint hoppy nose. Starts on the hoppy side, finish is smooth (unusual for a pale) and clean but there is a lingering bitter aftertaste. $1.50 for a 12 oz bottle from Capital Convenience Concord, NH. Contract brewed for Peak Organic Brewing Co.

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2006 23:28:51 | More by jdhilt

CrellMoset

Virginia

2.85/5  rDev -17.9%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Tasting on 07/02 w/ a friend. Poured from a bottle into a tasting glass.

Appearance: A mild pour yields a nice one-finger, creamy head, moderate lacing, a hazy golden body with hints of orange, and mild carbonation. A very good start.

Aroma: Hmmmm, a step down. Crisp, spicy hops are fairly neutral otherwise. Smells in many ways like a pilsner, and that's never what you want from an APA. There's some grainy notes, as well, and then that strange milk-carton top off-note.

Taste: Very sweet, grainy caramel malts, Cascade hops (orange zest), a good dose of hop bitterness, and a few of strange, funky off-flavors. Wheaty in places.

Mouthfeel: Fluffy, but medium-to-thick bodied. Good bubble structure.

Drinkability: Nothing outstanding here. Alcohol's fine and all, but it's just a little too sweet, a little too funky, and a little too strange to make me want to have more than just one.

This beer is notable for being organic, but not much else, in my opinion. I don't think it's not great because it's organic or anything, it's just generally not all that great a beer. Worth it if you're into the whole organic scene, but otherwise, can't say I'd recommend it.

Serving type: bottle

07-09-2008 20:19:03 | More by CrellMoset

alysmith4

District of Columbia

2.9/5  rDev -16.4%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Not bad, was expecting a "clean" flavor because of the organic status, but it was pretty average. Very fruity though, I was surprised by that. I must be used to IPAs, it's been a little while since I've had an APA so I wasn't used to the flavor profile. It wasn't bad though, I would try it again. Go organic!

Serving type: on-tap

06-27-2008 13:03:25 | More by alysmith4

andrewinski1

Maine

2.93/5  rDev -15.6%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3

Poured into a pint glass. The color is medium golden. There is a nice thin head that has just a bit of nice lacing.

The aroma has some crouton with some graham cracker. There is a bit of crisp hop in the aroma, but not much so I can't describe it beyond that.

The taste has a strong emphasis on bready malt. Lots of toast flavor here. There is a slightly crisp finish, with a subtle hop bitterness. There is a murky yeasty aftertaste that lingers a bit long.

This is medium bodied with nice sharp carbonation. This beer isn't bad but there are many many many other beers I'd rather have before getting to this one. This seems to be aimed at the Shipyard crowd.

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2013 03:54:41 | More by andrewinski1

WVbeergeek

Ohio

2.95/5  rDev -15%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Best before June 2011, of course I'm not expecting too much from this line of organic ales. But I'm willing to give 'em a go, right? Appears a slightly hazed pale copper hue with excessively thick off white head. Fine intricate lacing spread throughout each sip. Aroma has earthy pale malts/hops convincing eachother that one's the boss. Flavor, let me decide please, earthy hops and hints of bready caramel malts colliding in rough edges. Mouthfeel is medium to light bodied hints of cloying thoughts on organic pale ale tastes like earthy oatmeal your hippie cousin wants you to try. Drinkability overall, sucks pretty bad, I can't say this is good pale ale.

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2011 05:20:08 | More by WVbeergeek

ffejherb

Pennsylvania

3/5  rDev -13.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Served in a 20-oz. pint glass at Piper's Pub in Pittsburgh, PA on 11/23/07.

A - Pretty clear light amber body with average looking fizzy white head. Not much head retention or lacing. Body was pretty thin with tiny carbonation bubbles.

S - Light bready maltiness with some sweet caramel and graininess. Moderate hop aroma with traces of citrus fruit.

T - Moderately bitter initial flavor followed by a more dominating caramel malt flavor. Finish was quite bitter for a pale ale, with hints of lemon rind, and slightly acidic.

M - Light and kind of watery texture in the mouth/throat, but slightly oily around the lips. Carbonation was pretty soft. The overall finish felt a bit astringent.

D - This brew is big on the caramel malts in the nose, taste and overall finish. Moderately hoppy on the tastebuds, but nothing too bitter. Definitely quite different than other pale ales I've had, probably due to the organic ingredients. This brew is pretty drinkable, but I'd rather stick with non-organic offerings.

Serving type: on-tap

11-26-2007 20:09:09 | More by ffejherb

Drew966

Florida

3/5  rDev -13.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Peak Organic Pale Ale pours a copper color with an off white head from a brown twelve ounce bottle. There is a fairly malty aroma, but it just has that off flavor thing going on that is present in a lot of organic beer. Same thing in the flavor, that organic twang kills this beer for me. Otherwise its fairly hoppy and has a solid caramel malt backbone. If you don't mind the organic twang it's a solid offering. Obviously, it didn't work real well for me.

Serving type: bottle

05-21-2009 23:59:31 | More by Drew966

BigPlay1824

New York

3/5  rDev -13.5%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Enjoyed in a pint glass

A: pours a clear light amber honey color with a nice amount of carbonation bubbles, pours with a ton of head that is light and fluffy with large bubbles and lingers nicely, dissipates leaving an outrageous amount of lacing
S: not at all the kind of scent i had been anticipating, more of a smell like a cream ale, almost like malted milk balls and a slight amount of grass, odd
T: well it tastes pretty damn good, nice earthy hop character with a great amount of bitterness at the end, lots of grasses and organic material like flavors, kinda like a pile of grass and leaves, nice
M: smooth, very dry at the end, bitter, smooth with little carbonation tingle up front
O: its a good enough drinking brew, doesnt really pop right out but id call it sessionable, its not a hop bomb like so many other APAs nowadays, nice earth notes and smoothness to it, kind of creamy which brings me back to my thoughts of it smelling like a cream ale, a little odd but still nice enough, i could do a sixer of it

Serving type: bottle

08-28-2012 23:49:43 | More by BigPlay1824

OtherShoe2

Massachusetts

3.03/5  rDev -12.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

On tap pour of a pale orange with a head that disappeared but left a little sticky lacing on the glass.

Some sweet sugar/caramel flavors and a hint of hop leaf.

Watery craamel sweetness, some mild hop and citrus flavors, a little yeast must.

Nothing special here. Won't order this again. Feels watered down with nol distinct flavor or finish.

Serving type: on-tap

08-10-2008 20:05:24 | More by OtherShoe2

jonziefle

North Carolina

3.05/5  rDev -12.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Appearance: Poured a dark golden amber, slightly cloudy. 1.5 finger white, foamy head. Good retention; it goes down to a 0.5 finger layer and sticks around. Lacing down the glass

Smell: Mild hops, with stronger caramel malts and diacytal.

Taste: Mild hop bite, followed by caramel malts and diacytal. Tastes exactly like it smells. Not that much flavor.

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied, but a little thin.

Drinkability: An average pale ale. Easy drinker, inoffensive, but kind of bland.

Serving type: bottle

09-16-2009 02:56:57 | More by jonziefle

musicforairports

New York

3.05/5  rDev -12.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

12oz into tulip. Best by August, reviewed in early April.

Clear and golden. Not much head nor lacing.

Smells nutty and buttery, some earthy hops.

Taste is crisp, simple and clean. Malty, nutty, buttery, somewhat citrus-y.

Thin-medium mouthfeel. Comes and goes quickly.

An easy, in not very flavorful or hoppy, pale ale. Average on all fronts, really.

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2011 02:14:20 | More by musicforairports

Tucquan

Pennsylvania

3.08/5  rDev -11.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Had this in a 12 oz bottle in Strasburg, VA

The bottle was freshness dated and within the recommended drink by date.

An aggressive pour produced a 1.5 finger head in a 16 oz glass. The head color is ecru and the beer is a light amber.

There wasn't a lot of smell to the beer. Just a hint of yeast and floral.

The initial taste was of a light caramel malt and citrus balanced with a strong bittering hops. The hops taste lingered a loooong time after swallowing. Too much IMHO.

The carbonation was medium and worked well with the beer.

I enjoyed trying this beer but there are other APAs that I'd return to first.

Serving type: bottle

07-31-2008 11:08:29 | More by Tucquan

BuckeyeNation

Iowa

3.1/5  rDev -10.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Glossy pumpkin with butterscotch trim. Several streams of slow moving bubbles plink into the underside of a whipped frothy crown that is somewhere between pastel orange and ivory. The foam looks sticky and is beginning to decorate the glass with an eye-pleasing array of lace.

Oh boy. I hate it to say it, but Peak Organic Pale Ale smells organic. Not all, but some organically brewed beer has a musty, dusty, clay-like quality that permeates both the aroma and the flavor. Only a distant Cascade hoppiness brings the nose, kicking and screaming, up to average.

Things aren't quite so bad on the taste buds, but they aren't enough of an improvement to tempt me into the next highest score. On a good note, there's plenty of hop bitterness (41 IBUs) to cut through the off-flavors. While Organic Pale may not be 'near IPA status', as the brewery claims, it's definitely a snappily bitter APA.

The caramel malt backbone is large enough and provides some much needed sweetness. This is one of those cases in which the Cascade hops aren't allowed to work their citrusy magic. They're too bogged down by a sour, vegetal, borderline metallic flavor that I'm going to blame on organic farming. We need some pesticides here, dammit!

Ain't nothing wrong with the mouthfeel. It's at least medium for the style and has neither too many nor too few bubbles. Too bad it doesn't have more appealing cargo.

While waiting in line at the Madison Woodman's several weeks ago, I spotted this single sitting on a set of plastic shelves holding Coke and Sprite. When I saw that the 'best by' date was still three months off, I took a chance. Well, you win some and you lose some. Oh well, $1.00 isn't much of a loss.

Serving type: bottle

03-01-2008 14:25:29 | More by BuckeyeNation

magnj

New Jersey

3.1/5  rDev -10.7%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

My buddy has been talking about trying this so I picked a 6 pack up.

A - Pours a clear, glowing amber with a generous head. Really good looking!

S - Pretty disappointing aroma, malt forward and somewhat vegetable like.

T - Recovers slightly in the taste, still malt forward but is balanced towards the end with some simple but pleasant hops. Still la slight vegetable taste to the body, wondering what the freshness of this sample is?

M/D - Medium body is appropriate for the style, easy to drink. Kind of a novelty because it's organic. Aside fro, that fact it's pretty uninspiring and lacks in flavor.

Serving type: bottle

08-01-2010 21:48:56 | More by magnj

DrinkingDrake

Massachusetts

3.1/5  rDev -10.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Golden color that has a light haze. Small amount of heads pops up but doesn't hang out. Nose has is grainy biscuit and a very shy flowery earth hop presence. Toffee sweet with the a quick hit of fruitiness but then it quickly finishes with some dry earthy hops. It was sweet at first but finished with a dryer than expected earthy hop finish in contrast to the flowery aroma and fruity blast in the middle.

Serving type: bottle

08-17-2011 23:03:38 | More by DrinkingDrake

taylorhamrick

South Carolina

3.13/5  rDev -9.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a very clear copper color, very nice, with a pretty big head, the bubbles are a bit loose, and don't leave a lot of lacing, but still this one has a great look about it. The smell is kind of wimpy. There's a bit of leafy, slightly herbal hops, with a little squeeze of citrus in the background. The malt is nice and bready in the nose, a little sweeter than I'd expect. The taste is nice, but it doesn't really stand out. There's a nice malt presence, bready, an interesting battle between sweet and dry. The hops are leafy, slightly pungent, and there are some mild fruity esters. An interesting beer, but I feel like I've had it before. The mouthfeel is normal. Kind of medium bodied, low carbonation (maybe just low for the style). It's an enjoyable beer, one you could drink quite often if you wanted something safe an interesting. For the right price I might buy it again.

Serving type: bottle

08-08-2009 21:26:47 | More by taylorhamrick

kangarooAdam59

Connecticut

3.14/5  rDev -9.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

In a pint glass:

A: deep orange copper appeared with a clear body and a slight white head

S: bitter light hops and a bit of caramel come through

T: sweet and bitter at different times, though slightly bland as well around malts, citrus, and hops

M: light to medium, sessionable with some harshness on the tongue

O: average APA, but good to me, probably have it again depending upon what else was served

Serving type: bottle

11-12-2011 00:09:30 | More by kangarooAdam59

BeerSox

Virginia

3.15/5  rDev -9.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

12oz bottle into nonic.

Very hazy honey color with a two finger slightly off-white head that slowly settles to a thick cap. Heavy lacing on the glass.

Lots of the butterscotch aroma that's also present in their IPA. I'm guessing they use a yeast that produces a lot of diacetyl.

A decent amount of hops giving off some herbal flavors and a little bit of citrus. The malts are slight biscuity. More of the butter and butterscotch flavors are in there. Full bodied.

A decent pale ale, but like the IPA, still with some heavy butter aromas.

Serving type: bottle

06-29-2009 01:52:09 | More by BeerSox